The present invention relates to mechanisms for wrapping bales formed in a baler, and more particularly relates to such mechanisms that include a roll of wrapping material stored upon a rotating spool.
Material formed into bales in a baler, in particular crop (such as hay, straw) or industrial material (paper, cotton, rags or the like), is surrounded with wrapping material and after the baling process, so that the shape imposed by the baler is maintained and remains compacted during any later handling. The wrapping material so spooled may be plastic film, plastic mesh, paper or the like, which is rolled onto a spool and inserted into the wrapping mechanism.
Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,665 discloses a wrapping mechanism including a spool of plastic film on a carrier as a supply. When required, a length of the plastic film is pulled from the spool and moved by a conveying arrangement to the baling chamber where it is moved along by the rotating bale of material and encloses its circumference as a result. After the bale has been wrapped with at least one layer of wrapping material, the wrapped length of wrapping material is cut from the spool by a cutter arrangement. In order to avoid any overrunning by the spool due to its rotational inertia and the consequent unwanted unrolling of wrapping material from the spool, a brake device including a brake disk, springs and brake lining, is provided for opposing the rotation of the spool. The provision of such a brake is considered a disadvantage since added costs are incurred.